There’s a new strawweight king in ONE Super Series Muay Thai.
Prajanchai PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym had a debut to remember after he dethroned legendary Sam-A Gaiyangdahao to claim the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title in the main event of ONE: BATTLEGROUND, which aired on Friday, 30 July, from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
One of the biggest stars in Thailand, Prajanchai had an auspicious debut on the international stage, as he used his boxing to frustrate the former two-sport World Champion and effectively end Sam-A’s reign as a ONE World Champion.
The biggest blow for Prajanchai came near the first round after a short right hand dropped the Evolve MMA star, effectively sending a message that he meant business.
Prajanchai continued to frustrate Sam-A with his boxing in the second round, repeatedly sticking his jab in his foe’s face while landing beautiful combinations.
Sam-A did manage to pick it up in the later rounds, when he started countering well and scoring with his left hand as the younger Thai began to show signs of fatigue.
However, after five rounds, Prajanchai’s work in the early rounds ultimately proved enough for two of the three judges to score the fight in his favor and give him the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title.
In the co-main event, Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang proved that he is far from done as he annihilated Leandro “Wolf” Ataides, winning via first-round KO in their catchweight bout of 95.8 kilograms.
The former two-division World Champion quickly turned on the heat in the early goings of the match, putting together heavy combinations that Ataides gamely engaged with.
Engaging with Aung La N Sang, however, proved to be a huge mistake for the Brazilian.
After failing to take advantage of the Sanford MMA star on the ground, Ataides found himself on the wrong end of an Aung La N Sang flurry. “The Burmese Python” vented his ire on “Wolf” by unleashing a devastating eight-punch combination to end the night for the Evolve MMA representative.
His last punch, a solid right hook placed perfectly on Ataides’ jaw, was the reply to everyone asking if Aung La N Sang still has what it takes to regain top form and take back his precious World Titles.
That message was sent loud and clear – he’s here to stay.
ONE returns to action with the previously recorded ONE: BATTLEGROUND II on 13 August, when Eduard “Landslide” Folayang takes on Zhang “The Warrior” Lipeng in the main event.
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